


Happiness? Not a thing

by WickedHeadache



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Family Dynamics, Sort Of, Time Travel, don't know if it counts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2020-07-08 08:10:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19866313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WickedHeadache/pseuds/WickedHeadache
Summary: Due to a magical mishap, Regina was sent to the future and discovered a few interesting things. Not that she could truly be that happy.





	Happiness? Not a thing

Regina fell an undignified thump on the ground, muttering cursed under her breath. Henry was going to be in so much trouble when she got back home. Of all the messy, dangerous things he could think of to “find her happy ending,” she didn't appreciate that he had even considered sending her to the future. What was the point of it anyway?

Since her fight with Emma, Robin's wife coming back from the death, and her isolation from the town, Henry wanted nothing more than to get the family back together and tried a bit too hard to make her happy. It was sweet, really, but an impossible task, and it was starting to get out of hand.

She could sense the magic as it had surrounded her. She knew exactly where she was, and where Henry had found such a powerful spell to send her there. “Rumple,” she grumbled under her breath.

“Were you calling, dearie?” Said man appeared, a smirk on his lips.

Regina closed her eyes with a sigh. “No, I wasn't,” she couldn't help but be harsh with him. “Can’t we just get done with it and send me back?”

“Excuse me?” Rumplestiltskin lifted his brows and stepped forward, daring. “We have unfinished business, or don't you remember?”

He was close to invading her personal space, but Regina wasn't faced. That's how it was between them. She had gotten used to it during her time as Evil Queen, though since the curse it wasn't the same.

“I don't have time for this. I know you know, Rumple, stop it.”

“I haven't a clue what you're talking about.”

“Oh, come on,” she scoffed. “You  _ always _ know. So, please, just give me the spell and let me go back home.”

Rumple hummed, and took an awfully large step back, his lips curving downward. “I see. You aren't Regina.”

“I am!” She glared at him.

He just rolled his eyes and waved it off. “Not my Regina. Semantics, dear.”

“Wait, you don't know?” Regina's eyes bulged out. “That’s new.”

“Where do you come from?” He asked.

“The past.”

He chuckled. “That’s not possible.”

“I’m afraid it is, as you can see.”

Something sparkled inside of Rumplestiltskin’s eyes. He seemed to be looking through her. “I have to go.”

“Wait-”

But he already disappeared in red smoke.

* * *

Everyone in town took too well the news of another Regina walking on the streets, as if it was the most normal they could get. (And maybe it was, she thought, remembering kidnappings and Lost Boys, and chaos unleashing over Storybrooke back in her time). This time's Snow White had even invited her over family brunch, because apparently now they had those. 

She rolled her eyes upwards. She had felt tempted to reject her invitation but her curiosity about the future had won over. She wondered what she was like in this time; she had to meet herself yet. And Henry. She tried to imagine him all grown-up, and her heart clenched in her chest

Regina shook her head and stood in front of Granny's diner. This was a terrible idea. She shouldn't interfere with the future. Lord knows what kind of disasters she had already provoked. Her future self would be so pissed. She sighed; it was done. She entered the diner.

“Regina!” She spotted Snow waving excitedly at her.

A frown took place between her brows. This wasn't what she had pictured when Snow said ‘family brunch.’ First off, Robin was there, and was holding a baby — she almost scowled until she realized future Regina was sitting next to him and Marian wasn't anywhere near. Secondly, Emma and her pirate were there, besides David, Snow and baby Neal. And thirdly, on Regina's other side was Rumple. 

In what world would Rumple even consider to hang out with the Charmings? In what world would she do it again after what had happened with Emma? Well, Robin was there with her. And a baby. That had to mean something.

She shook off her useless questions and grabbed a chair, pacing it in their table and sitting down.

“So here you are,” she said with a glare for Rumplestiltskin. He sighed.

“Er, did we miss something?” Snow asked.

“He disappeared in the middle of a conversation without giving me the spell to go back home.”

“You did what?!” Her other self said, voice sharp.

“And, believe it or not, I'm not thrilled to be here.”

“I can tell,” she heard Emma mutter. She ignored her.

“Look, you were calling me,” Rumple told to future Regina. “Do you want me to ignore you next time?”

“Oh, there will be no next time,” she said.

“You know how dangerous it is for her to be here!” Her other self said.

Snow interfered. “Can’t we just have one normal family brunch?”

“Snow, my past self is our special guest, there's nothing normal about this.”

“Indulge me,” she insisted, shooting everybody on the table a terrifying smile.

Henry's punishment just got worse. “Where’s Henry, by the way?” Regina asked to her future self.

“We thought it would be a bad idea for him to be here. You've already had so much contact with this time.”

“Me meeting Henry would only worsen things,” she nodded, though disappointed.

“The fact that I'm talking to you right now is just…”

“Too much,” she completed.

“I feel my head blew up,” David said blankly.

Up from then, Regina dedicated her time to observe the behavior of everyone around. And she meant  _ everyone _ . People around weren't sneaking glances at them, not even of curiosity, although Regina was far more concerned about the disgusted ones that weren't on sight. However, what truly interested was the thief sitting beside her future self. Were they back together? Then where the hell had that baby come from? It wasn't from her, that was for sure.

Then again, future Regina didn't seem interested in the man at all. She was even sitting closer to Rumple than to Robin. Her eyes lingered between her and her former teacher. She pursed her lips. She could see from under the table that their thighs were touching. Future Regina kept talking normally with Snow about keeping her dwarves under control, they weren't Regina's department, after all.

She noticed her stiffening suddenly before starting talking again. Regina narrowed her eyes. Rumple was trying to hide a smirk, she could see it in the trembling of his cheek muscles. Her future self had her face flushed.

“Regina, you’re flushed,” Snow said worried. “Are you coming down with something?”

The woman coughed, but she could tell it had nothing to do with sickness. “No, I'm fine. I just… need to go to the bathroom.”

“Okay,” Snow nodded. “Tell me if you need anything.”

Future Regina smiled and, for the love of God, she meant it. Regina observed her all the way to the bathroom with narrowed eyes before she looked back at Rumple.

“About my spell,” she said, and Rumple rolled his eyes. “Oh, don't you roll your eyes at me, I can't stay here any longer and you know it!”

“Yes, yes,” Rumple sighed. “Such good opportunities wasted like that. I'll never understand you two.”

“I’m sorry?”

He didn't answer, just magicked up a wand and handed it over to her. “This will take you home.” He stood up and walked away. 

She sighed in surrender and stared at the wand in her hand. She would have to figure out how to use it, but she could work with it.

Future Regina seemed happy. She wondered if Robin had anything to do with it, if they had finally become a family and if her destiny had been fulfilled. She tensed at the thought, but tried to brush it off. She was happy, this Regina was probably over all the self-sabotage by now. Regina looked over at the man. He was smiling down at the baby.

“Is he yours?” She dared to ask.

“Yes,” he said with a charming smile. “Kelly.”

So it was a she. “Kelly,” she repeated. “And the mother is…?” He became tense at the mention of the mother. She eyed him curiously. “Marian?”

“What?” He jerked his head up. “No! What time exactly did you say you are from?”

“When our dear savior brought your wife back from the death.”

“Well, you should know that-”

“Robin!” Snow chastised him with a shake of her head. “Remember, we can't interfere.”

“But-”

“Regina would kill you.”

“But maybe that way we could-”

“Robin, no.”

Regina couldn't keep hearing this. She felt sick. “I’m going to the restroom.”

“Oh, Regina!” Snow remembered. “She's been there for awhile, I need to-”

“I’ll check on her,” she offered, then wondered why.

She went to the restroom with the intention to wash her face and see what was going on with herself, but she stopped on her tracks. Future Regina and Rumple were making out against a wall. So, that was going on. Great. Good. Good, good, good. Totally normal thing to do with the Dark One, with whom she had a complicated relationship, and, as it turned out, it was even more complicated than she had imagined.

“Oh, my God,” Regina gaped at the couple, that broke apart. Was she going to pass out? She felt like she was passing out. “What- How- Why- I don't even know.”

“Listen,” her future self said. “You can't tell anyone.”

“I don't think I could even if I wanted to,” she blinked at the air. “How do I eliminate that image from my head?”

“Oh, believe, dear, you don't want to,” she winked.

She felt her cheeks warming up.

* * *

“You are in so much trouble, young man!” 

Henry winced. “I didn't mean to send you to the future, just to send to another place.”

“Because that's better,” Regina said sarcastically, then softened.

“I was supposed to take to a place where you're happy, to give you hope,” Henry explained. “Did it work?”

She thought back — or forward — to a family full of people that cared about her. She remembered the future and a kiss with the Dark One. Future Regina had looked so happy, and while she had thought it was because of Robin, it somehow made more sense that it was about Rumple. Not that she had ever thought about him in that way before she saw them together. 

It was quite sexy, how he had held her, how she bit his lip, how desperate she had looked to be close to him in every possible way. Regina wondered if she could have the same some day, if it hadn't been ruined with her visit. Maybe she should resign to a life of loneliness. She had never been the huge family type anyway, but boy, did she want to be.

Regina sighed, shaking her head fondly. “Yes, Henry, it did.”


End file.
